County reports 79 new cases, two COVID-related deaths

Press release:

Data Update – Due to the volume and rapidly changing numbers we are no longer reporting mandatory quarantine data.

• Genesee County received 79 new positive cases of COVID-19.
  • The new positive cases reside in the:
    • West Region (Alabama, Darien, Pembroke)
    • Central Region (Alexander, Batavia, Bethany, Elba, Oakfield)
    • East Region (Bergen, Byron, Le Roy, Pavilion, Stafford)
• The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s.
• Thirty-five of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.
• Twenty-one of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.
• Three of the new positive cases are residents at Genesee Senior Living.
• Two of the new positive cases are residents at the Batavia VA Medical Center.
• Two of the new positive cases are inmates at the Buffalo Federal Detention Center.
• Two of the new positive cases are residents at the New York State Veterans' Home at Batavia.
• We are saddened to report the loss of two residents who resided at Genesee Senior Living. The individuals were both over 65. We do not provide any further information to protect the privacy of the individuals and their families. Our deepest condolences to the families and friends during this very difficult time.

 

• Orleans County received 100 new positive cases of COVID-19 from Friday through Monday morning.
• The positive cases reside in the:
  • West Region (Yates, Ridgeway, Shelby)
  • Central Region (Carlton, Gaines, Albion, Barre)
  • East Region (Kendall, Murray, Clarendon)
• The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s.
• Fourteen of the new positive individuals were on quarantine prior to testing positive.
• One hundred and 14 of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation.
• Nineteen of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.
• One of the new positive cases is a resident of Orchard Rehabilitation and Nursing Center.
• Two of the new positive cases are inmates at the Orleans Correctional Facility and one of the new positive cases is an inmate at the Albion Correctional Facility.

Vaccine Information: We are currently scheduling Point of Dispensing (POD) mass vaccination clinics for Priority Groups 1A and 1B. To check your eligibility to either of these groups go to: https://covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/phased-distribution-vaccine#phase-1a---phase-1b Links for preregistration are updated on a week to week basis based on vaccine availability.

If appointments become full, please check the state vaccine webpage: https://covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/ or the GO Health Vaccine webpage: http://bit.ly/39bfElNGOHealthVaccine or check with your primary care provider or pharmacy. Due to high traffic volume, the registration links may temporarily become unavailable.

Please continue to try again if experiencing any errors with registration. The process of getting the vaccine out to priority groups and eventually the general public is going to take many weeks, months.

For more information about the vaccine and access for those who are 75 and older who do NOT have internet access, please contact your respective Office for the Aging (OFA). For Genesee OFA please call (585) 813-2457 for COVID-19 Vaccine assistance between 9 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and leave a message and someone will return the call. For Orleans OFA please call (585) 589-3191 between 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. and leave a message if you get voicemail and someone will return the call.

The OFA offices can only assist with the NYS online tool as noted below. Individuals will need to call the COVID-19 Vaccination Hotline to make appointments at the listed providers.

The NYS Department of Health has set up various opportunities for vaccination. As of Jan. 11, New Yorkers in Phase 1a and segments of Phase 1b are eligible for the vaccines. ALL VACCINATIONS ARE BY APPOINTMENT ONLY.

Eligible groups include doctors, nurses and health care workers, people age 65 and over, first responders, teachers, public transit workers, grocery store workers and public safety workers. Residents and staff at nursing homes and other long-term care facilities will continue to be vaccinated through a federal program, which the state is providing resources to accelerate.

• Health care workers who are part of Phase 1a will continue to be vaccinated at hospitals and other clinical settings.
• People age 65 and over will primarily be vaccinated at pharmacies and other sites that are part of the “retail network.” Use our online tool to find a location. Beginning at 4 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 11, the COVID-19 Vaccination Hotline will open for scheduling vaccination appointments for eligible New Yorkers: 1-833-NYS-4-VAX (1-833-697-4829).
• Public employees (for example, police departments, public school teachers and MTA employees) will primarily be vaccinated through their groups’ relevant health programs or as organized by their unions.

To see who are currently included in the 1A and 1B priority groups go to: https://apps.health.ny.gov/doh2/applinks/cdmspr/2/counties?OpID=50500884

For Genesee County (585) 344-2580 ext. 5555 or e-mail Health.Dept@co.genesee.ny.us.

For Orleans County (585) 589-3278 or OCPublicHealth@orleanscountyny.gov. To check eligibility go to https://am-i-eligible.covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/.

The vaccine availability is limited and determined by the state. For more information on when it will be available for the general public keep checking our websites or the NYS Department of Health website: https://covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/

Percent Positive 7-day average as of Jan. 3 (https://forward.ny.gov/percentage-positive-results-county-dashboard):

• Genesee: 12.4 percent
• Orleans: 9.7 percent

To review the raw positive data for each of the counties click the following link: https://covid19tracker.health.ny.gov/views/NYS-COVID19-Tracker/NYSDOHCOVID-19Tracker-Map?%3Aembed=yes&%3Atoolbar=no&%3Atabs=n

Click here to view the Genesee and Orleans County online map of confirmed cases.

A reminder the numbers listed as positive/active are current community cases. The recovered numbers are only for community cases and do not include non-county regulated facilities. The total positive cases includes community active/positive, community recovered, and all those from non-county regulated facilities.

Rapid Testing: Preregistration is required for rapid testing clinics.

Genesee County Drive-through Testing Clinic Results -- Jan. 7:

• Total # of Tests = 249
• Total Positive Results = 10
• Total Positive Orleans County Residents = 6

Please note if you have recently tested positive, please do NOT come and get tested again at these clinics. These clinics are to identify new cases, not to determine if you are now negative. It is important to understand that you may still test positive for weeks after initially testing positive.

Use the Rapid COVID-19 Test Intake Form for either the Orleans County or Genesee County COVID-19 Rapid Test Clinics. You will need one form per person being tested.

If you are filling out the form, please complete it, print it out and bring it with you. Click here for the form: http://bit.ly/GOHealthIntakeForm

Preregistration is required for all clinics.

To register for the Orleans County Testing Clinic on Jan. 13, please go to: https://on.ny.gov/35mHMRI

To register for the Genesee County Testing Clinic on Jan. 12 and Jan. 14, please go to:  https://on.ny.gov/3beJV5T

For both Genesee and Orleans to help the process please note the following guidelines:

• You must preregister for any of the county clinics.
• For anyone under 18 years of age they must have their parent or guardian with them in order to be tested. 
• If you have a printer, complete the GO Health Intake Form http://bit.ly/GOHealthIntakeForm and bring it with you. If you completed the Intake form online please print it out and bring it with you – if you don’t have a printer, the form will be provided for you at the clinic
• Make sure you have a pen in your vehicle, if you do not have a completed Intake Form, you will have to complete it before moving forward which may delay your test.

Everyone in the vehicle is to have their mask on when they pull up at the testing site.

• For those who are getting tested, for the most part, the person will receive a call within three hours, however, they may get a call fairly quickly from an unknown number -- please answer the phone. Staff cannot leave messages and can only give results to the individual tested or the guardian of minor children. Hard copy results will be emailed within 48 hours if we have a valid email address.
• If the clinics are closed please check the NYS COVID-19 Drive through test sites:  Call New York State Department of Health Testing Appointments Call 1-888-364-3065 or

Monroe Community College – testing by appointment only:  https://www.monroecc.edu/index.php?id=29078

Niagara County Community College -- https://covid19screening.health.ny.gov/covid-19-screening/

Quarantine and Isolation Update

New guidance for those on mandatory and precautionary quarantine as long as you have no symptoms: for community members, travelers and healthcare personnel (with exceptions):

Consistent with recent CDC guidance, quarantine for individuals exposed to COVID-19 can end after 10 days without a testing requirement if no symptoms have been reported during the quarantine period.

• Individuals must continue daily symptom monitoring through Day 14;
• Individuals must be counseled to continue strict adherence to all recommended non-pharmaceutical interventions, including hand hygiene and the use of face coverings, through Day 14.
• Individuals must be advised that if any symptoms develop, they should immediately self-isolate and contact the local public health authority or their healthcare provider to report this change in clinical status and determine if they should seek testing.

For those who work as healthcare professionals at Nursing Homes, Adult Care Facilities, certified as Enhanced Assisted Living Residences (EALR) or licensed as Assisted Living Programs (ALP):

Individuals can be released from quarantine after 10 days of being symptom free, however, they are still furloughed (not able to report for work) for the full 14 days.

Individuals will have to continue to self-monitor the entire 14 days.  Individuals must be counseled to continue strict adherence to all recommended non-pharmaceutical interventions, including hand hygiene and the use of face covering, through Day 14.

• Individuals must be advised that if any symptoms develop, they should immediately self-isolate and contact

These quarantine requirements are also applicable to travelers who are not essential workers and/or who did not complete the testing requirements described in Executive Order 205.2.

• If you believe you are a contact or have been notified you are a contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19, it may take a few days for contact tracers to initially contact you due to the volume of contacts. Please self-quarantine, even if you are feeling fine. Stay away from other household members, use separate bathroom facilities (or sanitize after each use), have meals delivered. If you start to feel ill, contact your primary care provider and let them know you were exposed to or tested positive for COVID-19.

If you are being tested for COVID-19 it is important that you self-quarantine until you get your test results whether you have symptoms or not. If you are symptomatic, meaning you are coughing, have a fever or other symptoms, self-quarantine even if you are an essential worker until you get your results back, if you have COVID-19 you may be spreading it! That means to stay home and limit contact with other people, even in your household.